Andrew
Certified Tutor
Hello. I am a Spanish professor with Austin Community College. I've taught Spanish at the middle school through college level for the last 15 years and I have plenty of tutoring experience.
Having learned Spanish as a second language I understand a student's struggle learning the language. Students have told me I am patient and calm as a teacher. Since I have taught young people and older students I feel I have a good understanding of how to present a given concept to a specific student. I am well aware that some younger learners struggle with attention span. For this reason I use fun activities and age appropriate materials. In the past I have tutored businessmen and women who had specific goals for a trip to a Spanish speaking country. I feel comfortable teaching both adults and children. As far as materials I have plenty to offer. I designed my own language learning website that covers the grammar learned in Spanish I and II.
I look forward to working with anyone who needs help with Spanish. I am punctual and professional while still keeping a relaxed attitude with my students. If you are looking for a teacher with those qualities I'd love to work with you.
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Undergraduate Degree: Syracuse University - Bachelors, Spanish
Graduate Degree: Texas State University-San Marcos - Masters, Spanish
I like spending time with my four daughters and playing the guitar and piano.
What is your teaching philosophy?
I believe that making language learning fun motivates students and makes the language learning process less intimidating.
What might you do in a typical first session with a student?
I would start off by determining the goal of the session. This could range from focusing on a specific grammar concept to learning the language in general.
How can you help a student become an independent learner?
With learning Spanish, I could teach a student how to use the many online resources that are available. I also know a few tricks and strategies that have helped me become fluent in Spanish.
How would you help a student stay motivated?
I would vary the activities to keep it interesting, and I would set specific goals so the student would know that he or she is working towards something attainable.
If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?
I would break down the concept and reteach it until the student understood. That may require presenting it in a couple of different ways.
How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?
I teach them how to get the gist of what they are reading by identifying key words to look up.
What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?
I see where the student is at in terms of verb conjugation and work from there.
How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?
I would find out what the student is interested in and try to relate the material to that.
What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?
I would use short quizzes like the student may see in class.
How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?
Each day I would point out that the student understood an aspect of the language that he didn't know the previous day.
How do you evaluate a student's needs?
I sit with the student and talk about what the goal is for the session or overall and work from there.
How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?
If a student is really struggling I will go back and reteach key areas of grammar.
What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?
I use paper and a pencil, the internet, textbooks and videos.